Geelong v Essendon: All the news, intel and key takeaways from pre-season practice match
Essendon fans had resigned themselves to a long, painful season in 2025, but under Tuesday night lights in Geelong there was proof that there may be plenty to cheer for in some young stars.
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Essendon has drawn criticism for taking one step back in the hope of taking two steps forward.
It might have been a pre-season game, but Tuesday night underlined that the young core on this list has promise and is worth persisting with after knocking off a Geelong side firmly in the premiership window by 21-points at GMHBA Stadium.
A breakout year beckons for third-year midfielder Elijah Tsatas, livewire Isaac Kako (four goals) proved he is already a matchwinner and is primed to give the Bombers the spark their forward line sorely needs, while key forward Nate Caddy (three goals) is threatening whenever he is near the footy.
Then there is the under 25s.
Nic Martin, 23, turned heads at Kardinia Park in the community series in one of his first games as a rebounding defender and he oozed class again with two goals, 24-year-old Harrison Jones played one of his better games as a wingman, while 21-year-old Ben Hobbs looks a far better player with more midfield minutes.
At the other end of the age spectrum for the Cats, goalkicker Jeremy Cameron was absolutely dominant in an ominous sign for the competition.
Turning 32 in April, Cameron has lost none of his touch, roaming around Kardinia Park doing as he pleased – the highlight a trademark snap from 40 metres out on the boundary.
Young Essendon key defenders Zach Reid and Lewis Hayes are an important part of the Bombers’ future, but there could be some pain ahead when they face the best key forwards this year.
Fresh from the Indigenous All-Stars, Tyson Stengle produced his usual moments of brilliance up forward with two goals, one of those a banana on the run in front of the Cats standing room area, while Gryan Miers won mountains of footy on the outside in a further sign he will go up another notch in 2025.
At the other end Jack Henry was an intercept force, taking a handful of grabs off the opposition.
Without recruit Bailey Smith it was the underrated Jack Bowes who was the equal-leading disposal winner on the ground, and he also booted a long bomb goal from the paint.
Essendon forward Jade Gresham came to life late in the Bombers’ barnstorming last term with two majors after a quiet first three quarters.
POSITIONAL CHANGES
Dylan Shiel won a stack of the footy in his new-found halfback role, collecting 13 first quarter disposals and finishing with 26.
Not all of those were particularly damaging, but he looked to be full of confidence as he gave the Bombers extra rebound.
Sam De Koning was smashed early in the ruck by Sam Draper, with the Cats giving up 0-8 stoppage clearances to quarter time, with Draper recording nine disposals and four clearances to De Koning’s three touches to that point.
He got better from there but by the second half the Cats looked to be giving Mark Blicavs, who kicked a goal, extended minutes in the ruck and De Koning more time in defence.
Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield took a strong grab early in the game to put through a goal but he was quiet thereafter up forward before moving into the midfield late in the piece to give the Cats a spark.
ROOKIE WATCH
Bombers fans have a new favourite player.
Essendon academy product Kako excited with a goal and an assist in the first quarter and then turned the game on its head in the final quarter with two magnificent crumbing goals.
If you don’t have him in your SuperCoach team, slot him in stat.
“(We’re) not surprised because we’ve had him for a couple of years, because he’s been able to come to train with regards to school holidays and things like that,” Dons assistant coach Daniel Giansiracusa said.
“So we’ve seen it at under 18 level, how you can transfer that, who knows.
“The good thing is he’s a hard worker and that’s coming out on the field.”
Giansiracusa, a star goalkicker during his 265-game career with the Western Bulldogs, knows full well how volatile the small forward role can be and said defensive pressure has been the key instruction for Kako.
“We try to keep it pretty simple with regards to what we’re looking for from his game and it’s definitely not goals and possessions and things like that,” Giansiracusa said.
“We’re not trying to put too much pressure on him, as a small forward you can have days where you get on the end of the footy - I know that - but there’s also days when it doesn’t quite work for you.
“He’s electrifying with his pressure and we want to be known for that as a footy team, and he’ll definitely add to that with our group.”
Same goes for Tsatas. A big ball-winner at junior level, the No. 5 pick of the 2022 was forced to bide his time in the VFL last season but his 15 contested possessions and 10 clearances show he has well and truly arrived as an inside midfielder.
Giansiracusa praised the dedication of Tsatas, who was forced to bide his time in the VFL in the last 10 rounds of the AFL season, as he strives for more senior opportunity and to become more well-rounded as a midfielder.
“He’s another guy who’s a real pro and as most guys are when they come into the competition, they are in a hurry,” Tsatas said.
“And he’s had a big pre-season where he’s worked on his game. He won’t die wondering, because he puts in the work.
“So there’s more challenges coming because playing inside mid at AFL level is a challenge and you come up against some real beasts. He said after the game that he was ‘cooked’, but that’s the nature of playing inside.
“Being a consistent performer in the midfield and at AFL level is a big jump up, but what he’s shown us in pre-season is that he’s going to give himself a really good chance because he’s done the hard work.”
Reid was outmuscled at times by the athletic Shannon Neale, who kicked two goals and could have had more, but his pinpoint kicking and intercepting was impressive.
Midfielder Mitch Knevitt racked up six contested possessions in the first quarter alone and looked solid once again in an on-ball role.
Fellow pre-season standout Connor O’Sullivan had seven handballs in the first term but had just one touch from thereon having limited gametime in the second half, with an opening round debut in some doubt.
Supplemental selection pick-up Tom Edwards produced a blistering second half in the VFL with four goals but only had the three touches in 24 per cent gametime in the AFL match.
Geelong forward Ted Clohesy kicked a late goal and had four touches after coming on at halftime, while first round pick Jhye Clark tallied 14 disposals in just 37 per cent gametime.
SURPRISE ROLE
Andrew McGrath didn’t attend one centre bounce last year.
The 2016 No. 1 pick was given greater centre bounce exposure along with his usual halfback role and had impact, providing dash and using the ball well, finishing with 28 disposals and four clearances.
Fellow first round pick Hobbs, a contested beast at junior level, had half a dozen clearances and eight tackles on his way to 29 disposals on the inside – having a far greater impact than he has as a half forward in the past.
Tom Stewart’s midfield shift to shake the tag began late last season against Essendon, and he rolled through the centre bounces at times before rolling back into defence.
Cameron was everywhere, and that was the same for his roles as well. He lined up at a centre bounce at one stage and it was a 196cm pairing on the wing at one point between Cameron and Jones.
HOT TAKE
Call it now: Kako for the Rising Star (for the purpose of a pre-season hot take, anyway).
With Carlton No.3 pick Jagga Smith unfortunately out of the race with an ACL rupture, Kako showed in his second game against AFL opposition that he has all the tricks to take out the award this year.
One thing’s for sure, he’ll certainly get the attention from the judges with his maximum impact per possession.
The Calder Cannons product is sure to give opposition defenders nightmares in the years to come.
GEELONG 2.3 8.4 10.7 12.11 (83)
ESSENDON 5.0 8.1 11.2 17.2 (104)
GOALS
GEELONG: Cameron 2, Stengle 2, Neale 2, Miers, Henry, Stengle, Blicavs, Bowes, Dangerfield, Clohesy
ESSENDON: Kako 4, Caddy 3, Martin 2, Perkins 2, Durham 2, Gresham 2, Kako, Draper, Bryan
VFL NOTES: DONS SSP SIGNING STARS
Recent Essendon signing Tom Edwards has further staked his claim for an opening round debut after booting four goals in a half for the second time in two matches in Bombers colours.
Edwards, 24, came on at halftime in the VFL curtain raiser against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium and gave the Bombers an immediate boost, helping them to a come-from-behind 11-point win.
It comes after the high-flying Swan Districts forward earned a spot on Essendon’s list last week via the supplemental selection period after slotting four second-half goals against the Western Bulldogs.
Edwards, who was named in the WAFL team of the year in 2024 after kicking 34 goals, will also play the first half of the AFL hitout.
“It’s a great story. And now we’ve got to make sure that an AFL game for full minutes is a lot different. You only get a small snippet when they’re an SSP product, and he’ll build that,” Giansiracusa said.
“But he hasn’t put a foot wrong yet. So again, giving coaches headaches which is what we want at this time of year and competition for spots is what will hopefully help us produce high-level performances when the real stuff happens.”
Veterans Todd Goldstein and Rhys Stanley battled in the ruck and Goldstein won the contest as he looks to put pressure on Bombers ruck duo Sam Draper and Nick Bryan.
Bombers small forward Jye Menzie was another standout in the VFL match, booting two majors and setting up another two for his teammates.
Geelong’s top pick Jay Polkinghorne and Bombers draftee Kayle Gerreyn also added two goals for their respective signs in promising showings from the young forwards.
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